History UsefulNotes / TheNewTens

* The decade proves to be an ''interesting'' decade for veteran video game companies. Some managed to bounce back and winning back the crowd, some managed to go to a downward spiral, losing the goodwill of a huge portion fandom. Here are some of the examples:

*** Creator/{{Konami}} experienced a shift of management in the middle of 2010's, in which they started an utterly radical changes that made the fandom lose trust on them, at least their modern form. They started with a change of focus, from AAA games to cheaper mobile games and pachinko machines, turning a lot of their beloved video game franchises into pachinko machines and to further compound on this, their relations with Creator/HideoKojima began to sour and this culminated with their mistreatment towards Kojima in regards of his final ''Franchise/MetalGear'' game, ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', including not allowing him to take the awards the game achieved. The mistreatment of Kojima not only made Kojima quit and eventually formed his own studio which was taken under Sony's wing and created the highly acclaimed ''VideoGame/DeathStranding'' (and that's not including the mistreatment or cancellation of another Kojima-related franchise ''Franchise/SilentHill''), but it also revealed a most damning piece of news that they have been utterly mistreating their employees. Added to that, shortly afterwards, Japan itself enacted a new law that would limit profit in the business ventures, and Konami had to go back to video games... ''after their new policies reduced their video game developer manpower'', which resulted 'worst games' candidates like ''VideoGame/MetalGearSurvive'' or ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}: Rogue Corps''. What few defenders of Konami could argue that sometimes they did hit right on the spot, with the likes of ''Super VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} R'' and allowing [[VideoGame/{{Castlevania}} Simon Belmont and Richter Belmont]] to appear in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' and at the very least, their soccer simulator ''Pro Evolution Soccer'' were still well received. While some people might be ready to let Konami move forward and try to fix things, some were justified in feeling OnceDoneNeverForgotten route on Konami. Both sides seemed to agree that the past Konami was great, the current Konami by the end of the decade, not so much.
*** Creator/BlizzardEntertainment and their decision to merge with Creator/{{Activision}} back in 2008 has started to show its flaws, one that would be damaging to the company on whole, but especially Blizzard, once known as an iconic figure in the previous decades. They became very aggressive in pushing on the e-sports scene, though not with long-term success, thus modifying many of its games to make sure they are 'competitively eligible', but at the cost of the fun-loving non-competitive gamers. They could no longer reach the golden age of how ''VideoGame/StarcraftBroodWar'' became an e-sport icon, with their other e-sport scenes not that successful, and this ends up with them taking away support for one of their multiplayer titles ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'', knocking it down from being one of the best MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena games, and overall also damaging the experience with ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}''. They also damaged their playerbase with the reveal of ''VideoGame/DiabloImmortal'' mobile game at Blizzcon, revealing ''VideoGame/DiabloIV'' at a latter Blizzcon as a late damage control, but that didn't sit well with their western player base which were less attuned with mobile games. However, their biggest damning moment was the incident with the ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'' player Blitzchung, whereas after hearing him showing support for his struggling country at Hong Kong, and in order to appease their marketbase at China, at that time under the rule of UsefulNotes/XiJinping, Blizzard decided to ban Blitzchung and all of its casters and taking away his achievement prizes. The news went viral fast and many fans turned against Blizzard for its rather political-driven decision. For further insult to the injury, Blizzard's remake of one of its classics, ''Warcraft 3 Reforged'', turned out to be very polarizing and garnering negative reaction (Technically this happened in January 2020, but it was close enough). A majority of all these were related with the decisions made by Activision, and so Blizzard closes the decade as a company that used to be beloved, but now considered to be catching up with EA in terms of 'badness'.

* Depending on who you ask, horror cinema has either undergone a new renaissance or is stuck in a DorkAge. Whereas the previous decade was defined primarily by TorturePorn movies, J-horror remakes, and remakes/reboots of horror franchises from the 1970s and '80s, this one has seen a slew of low-key FoundFootage movies and teen-oriented flicks that consist largely of {{Jump Scare}}s. While some of these films have received critical acclaim (most notably the works of Creator/JamesWan, who is considered by some to be this generation's answer to Creator/JohnCarpenter), most have been dismissed by critics who view them as being manufactured, hollow films that fail to leave any sort of lasting impression. On the other hand, the past few years have seen a plethora of smaller, auteur-driven indie horror films such as ''Film/ItFollows'', ''Film/TheBabadook'', ''Film/{{Get Out|2017}}'', ''Film/TheBlackcoatsDaughter'', and ''Film/TheWitch'', all of which have received acclaim for emphasizing smart writing and creepy atmospheres over cheap scare tactics, also capitalizing on a climate of apparent general hysteria not only hitting paydirt, but also making critics notice a genre long snubbed by critical and academic circles. Many of the most commercially successful horror films in this decade came from Creator/BlumhouseProductions, who were able to produce a number of [[Film/ParanormalActivity successful]] [[Film/{{Insidious}} horror]] [[Film/ThePurge franchises]] with most of the films having a rather low budget. The [[Film/It2017 2017 adaptation]] of the Creator/StephenKing novel ''Literature/{{It}}'' became the highest-grossing horror film as well as the third highest grossing R-rated film of all time, while ''Film/BlackSwan'' and ''Film/GetOut2017'' both received Best Picture nominations, a rare feat for the genre.

* The spring-summer of 2015 saw a minor resurgence of hippie-inspired clothing, with flowery prints, platform shoes, and flares becoming a limited trend. [[LennonSpecs Rounded sunglasses]] have become popular in their own right. "Boho-chic" fashions then became mainstream beginning in 2019 particularly because of the rising popularity of the "VSCO girl", which has been labeled as an updated version of the NewAgeRetroHippie.

** And there're also the two big elephants in the room, [[https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement]] and an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TTIP equivalent treaty with the European Union]], a pair of trade agreements being written in secret with only a few being allowed to look at them, which promise to make several parts of SOPA and PIPA into ''international law'' amongst many other awful things, the former having being entered into force albeit without the US in December 2018 and negotiations for the latter having seemingly become stuck.

** And there're also the two big elephants in the room, [[https://www.eff.org/issues/tpp The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement]] and an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TTIP equivalent treaty with the European Union]], a pair of trade agreements being written in secret with only a few being allowed to look at them, which promise to make several parts of SOPA and PIPA into ''international law'' amongst many other awful things, the former having being entered into force albeit without US in December 2018 and negotiations for the latter having seemingly become stuck.

* The decade has also showcased a growing divide between "casual" and "hardcore" gamers, with many citing the advent of motion-control gaming as part of the debate: The UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, the [[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} Kinect]], and the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 Move]] have given gamers new ways to play, but only a handful of titles have taken full advantage of these motion-control devices, and most of them are "casual" games like ''VideoGame/JustDance'', ''VideoGame/DanceCentral,'' and the ever-popular ''VideoGame/WiiSports'' series, causing many diehard gamers to deride motion-control as a gimmick. At the same time, cellular phones and handheld computers have seen tremendous growth, with many of its games, like the famous ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'', proving to be a prime attraction for the casual gamer. As phone-based games became increasingly popular among casual gamers during this period, they began drifting away from traditional retail video games. On the other side of the extreme, let's not even get started on the "exclusivity" PC gamers want their format to go, with the increasingly intense hardware requirements and the perceived StopHavingFunGuys attitude regarding the format. All this has left fans and analysts to wonder if there can ever be a middle ground again. Creator/{{Nintendo}} however, often credited/MisBlamed for starting this trend, attempted to re-bridge the gap by catering to both casuals and diehards this time around with the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS and the UsefulNotes/WiiU, with both underperforming, the [=WiiU=] becoming the death knell for motion control. The Nintendo Switch eventually recaptured the casual market at the same time the company began a belated incursion into the mobile game business.

* On another note, the patents for UsefulNotes/{{MP3}} expired on 23 April 2017. Some thought that the [=mp3=] players and/or the format itself is dead according to the creators, [[https://marco.org/2017/05/15/mp3-isnt-dead it's not]].

*** Creator/BlizzardEntertainment and their decision to merge with Creator/{{Activision}} back in 2008 has started to show its flaws, one that would be damaging to the company on whole, but especially Blizzard, once known as an iconic figure in the previous decades. They became very aggressive in pushing on the e-sports scene, though not with long-term success, thus modifying many of its games to make sure they are 'competitively eligible', but at the cost of the fun-loving non-competitive gamers. They could no longer reach the golden age of how ''VideoGame/StarcraftBroodWar'' became an e-sport icon, with their other e-sport scenes not that successful, and this ends up with them taking away support for one of their multiplayer titles ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'', knocking it down from being one of the best MultiplayerOnlineBattleArena games, and overall also damaging the experience with ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}''. They also damaged their playerbase with the reveal of ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} Immortal'' mobile game at Blizzcon, revealing ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} IV'' at a latter Blizzcon as a late damage control, but that didn't sit well with their western player base which were less attuned with mobile games. However, their biggest damning moment was the incident with the ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'' player Blitzchung, whereas after hearing him showing support for his struggling country at Hong Kong, and in order to appease their marketbase at China, at that time under the rule of UsefulNotes/XiJinping, Blizzard decided to ban Blitzchung and all of its casters and taking away his achievement prizes. The news went viral fast and many fans turned against Blizzard for its rather political-driven decision. For further insult to the injury, Blizzard's remake of one of its classics, ''Warcraft 3 Reforged'', turned out to be very polarizing and garnering negative reaction (Technically this happened in January 2020, but it was close enough). A majority of all these were related with the decisions made by Activision, and so Blizzard closes the decade as a company that used to be beloved, but now considered to be catching up with EA in terms of 'badness'.

*** Capcom in particular has probably had one of the best success stories of the decade. Initially starting off the decade as reviled by the gaming community for aspects of their games that seemed poorly thought out and some poor corporate decisions (many will point to the disastrous launch of 2012's ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' as one of their absolute lowest points in recent memory, particularly due to the substantial amount of on-disc DLC). Starting with ''Resident Evil 7'' as shown above, they have released at least one nearly universally acclaimed game a year. ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' in 2018 was the next one, and ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'' was considered to be a great return to form for their Platforming mascot, to the point where it was called "''VideoGame/MightyNo9'' done right". But 2019 had the back to back successes of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'', which garnered even better praise then Resident Evil 7 did, and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', which not only garnered similar acclaim, but was a shot in the arm that the Devil May Cry fanbase needed after ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'' demoralized and divided the fanbase prior. It also garnered the highest PC release in the companies history, right after ''Monster Hunter World'', in fact, and 2012's ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' also became something of a SleeperHit despite low initial sales due to word of mouth, and is now held to be one of the best action RPGs on the market. While their Fighting Game Division is still a bit off in terms of quality, many have claimed that Capcom as a whole has found their footing and might even be doing better both critically and commercially as a company than they have ever had. Though that is not to say they had their own blunders in this decade (such as ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''), but they came out much better than the last decade.

*** Capcom in particular has probably had one of the best success stories of the decade. Initially starting off the decade as reviled by the gaming community for aspects of their games that seemed poorly thought out and some poor corporate decisions (many will point to the disastrous launch of 2012's ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' as one of their absolute lowest points in recent memory, particularly due to the substantial amount of on-disc DLC). Starting with ''Resident Evil 7'' as shown above, they have released at least one nearly universally acclaimed game a year. ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' in 2018 was the next one, and ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'' was considered to be a great return to form for their Platforming mascot, to the point where it was called "''VideoGame/MightyNo9'' done right". But 2019 had the back to back successes of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'', which garnered even better praise then Resident Evil 7 did, and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', which not only garnered similar acclaim, but was a shot in the arm that the Devil May Cry fanbase needed after ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'' demoralized and divided the fanbase prior. It also garnered the highest PC release in the companies history, right after ''Monster Hunter World'', in fact, and 2012's ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' also became something of a SleeperHit despite low initial sales due to word of mouth, and is now held to be one of the best Action RPGs on the market. While their Fighting Game Division is still a bit off in terms of quality, many have claimed that Capcom as a whole has found their footing and might even be doing better both critically and commercially as a company than they have ever had. Though that is not to say they had their own blunders in this decade (such as ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''), but they came out much better than the last decade.

*** Capcom in particular has probably had one of the best success stories of the decade. Initially starting off the decade as reviled by the gaming community for aspects of their games that seemed poorly thought out and some poor corporate decisions (many will point to the disastrous launch of 2012's ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' as one of their absolute lowest points in recent memory, particularly due to the substantial amount of on-disc DLC). Starting with ''Resident Evil 7'' as shown above, they have released at least one nearly universally acclaimed game a year. ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' in 2018 was the next one, and ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'' was considered to be a great return to form for their Platforming mascot, to the point where it was called "''VideoGame/MightyNo9'' done right". But 2019 had the back to back successes of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'', which garnered even better praise then Resident Evil 7 did, and ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', which not only garnered similar acclaim, but was a shot in the arm that the Devil May Cry fanbase needed after ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'' demoralized and divided the fanbase prior. It also garnered the highest PC release in the companies history, right after ''Monster Hunter World'', in fact, and 2012's ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' also became something of a SleeperHit despite low initial sales due to word of mouth, and is now held to be one of the best ''Souls''-type games on the market. While their Fighting Game Division is still a bit off in terms of quality, many have claimed that Capcom as a whole has found their footing and might even be doing better both critically and commercially as a company than they have ever had. Though that is not to say they had their own blunders in this decade (such as ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''), but they came out much better than the last decade.

* [[IndieGame Indie gaming]] has garnered widespread popularity due in thanks to the proliferation of the internet, given most of these are [[UsefulNotes/DigitalDistribution distributed online]] and a majority of the industry's revenue comes from downloads, as with thatgamecompany's ''VideoGame/{{Flower}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Journey}}'', initially available on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork to strong digital sales and critical acclaim and, along with ''flOw'', [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition eventually rereleased on a one-BluRay disc compilation titled]] ''[[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition Journey Collector's Edition]]''. Creator/{{Sony}} and Creator/{{Nintendo}} show interest in indie video game developers, including thatgamecompany. Indie games, initially known in shareware circles during the 1990s, became increasingly profitable after the late 2000s saw numerous critically praised titles such as ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}''. They came to be characterized as relying on innovative gameplay mechanics and unusual art styles. ''VideoGame/{{Monaco}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Fez}}'', ''VideoGame/PapersPlease'', ''Outer Wilds'', ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', and ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' won plenty of positive reviews and decent sales for such approaches, but a growing number of developers have also created horror games including ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''. Perhaps the most successful of these games is the [[JustOneMoreLevel notorious(ly addictive)]] ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' created by a Swedish programmer named Markus "Notch" Persson. It uses pixellated graphics, the point is [[WideOpenSandbox you mine blocks and build any imaginable thing out of them]], and you have to defend yourself from hostile monsters by not just finding supplies, but using a shelter made from scratch. It even has been constantly updated by Mojang who ported it to iOS, UsefulNotes/Xbox360, Wii U, and the Google Android. Other notable indie games include the aforementioned ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' series, ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', and a pair of unlikely 2014 sleeper hits in ''VideoGame/FlappyBird'' and ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys''.

** Music is also having a difficult time crossing over the pond as the market is still physical media dominated rather than digital, unlike KPop which used Youtube to become internationally popular, Japan still maintains a firewall over their media as JPop is slow to accept Youtube as a publicity. Along with vast cultural differences even between KPop, it has created a negative impact on Japan's international reputation. Though that said, VisualKei and folk/modern bands have seen a resurgence in recent years. The surprise success of ''Anime/LoveLiveSchoolIdolProject'' with it's overseas localization however helped slowly shift the perception of Idols for the foreign audience with foreign fans playing a role in the anime's success and being the standard for idol culture.

** While Lootboxes as we know them had begun with VideoGame/TeamFortress2, many other games started to slowly hop on the bandwagon not long after, VideoGame/PAYDAY2 in particular got mocked for it's Crimefest 2015 event, essentially being based about the safe/ drill system implemented into the game, despite the developers claiming that the game would never feature such mechanics, which then caused the developers to make changes to the system not even six months later to make all safes free to open. ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' launched in 2016 with Lootboxes in tow, much to the chagrin of a fair amount of players, with defenders coining the phrase ''"It's Just Cosmetic!"'' as justifications for purchasing them, which meant, for the longest time, ''Overwatch'' escaped criticism of its Lootboxes on a larger scale.

* Boeing has gotten into a lot of scrutiny with their Boeing 737 MAX models when two related airplane crashes, Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, crashed into the ground without any survivors. This has led to various governments across the globe to ground all Boeing 737 MAX models due to safety concerns. Investigations revealed that it's anti-stall system, Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), was primarily responsible for both crashes and the pilots struggled to control its anti-stall system, even when following the instruction manual given by Boeing.

* Within Eastern culture, South Korea began to spread its culture more aggressively into the West, matching Japan's cultural influence in some aspects. China and Russia have also attempted to compete with Hollywood by making their own blockbuster-like films, although these are little known in the West.

** Explicit sexuality has lost momentum not only by the prevalence of less revealing clothes and that sex has mostly been relegated to apps like Tinder, but also the end of the symbols of the "sexual revolution" of the 1960s: ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Sun]]'' dropped its PageThreeStunna in early 2015, while ''Playboy'' announced that its iconic centerfold would be no more by its February 2016 issue, which introduced a style more akin to "lads' mags" like ''Esquire'' and ''GQ'' (though they have since reversed this decision). Retailers such as Abercrombie and Fitch and perfume companies have also reduced [[PoorMansPorn their ads' sexual content]]. Carl Karcher Enterprises, which runs the American hamburger chains Hardee's and Carl's Jr., was once known for going straight to [[SexSells sex appeal]] in their advertisements with models and former porn stars eating their food in bikinis and lingerie, but in mid-2017, in response to falling sales, the focus shifted to the lives of fictional CEO Carl Hardee Sr. and his [[TheHedonist hedonistic]] son.

* Adult-oriented animation made major strides in escaping the AllAdultAnimationIsSouthPark mindset during the second half of the 2010s, with feature films like ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty'', ''WesternAnimation/LovingVincent'', and ''WesternAnimation/IsleOfDogs'', as well as TV series like the aforementioned ''[=BoJack HorseMan=]'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Primal}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/{{Undone}}''.

* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series appeared to be making a comeback, with 2010's ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' and 2011's ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations'' both receiving the most critical and fan praise of any game in the franchise in a decade. However, the series hit a slump when 2013's ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' was met with mixed reception, with ''VideoGame/SonicBoom: Rise of Lyric'' being outright panned the next year (although its 3DS counterpart ''Shattered Crystal'' and follow-up ''Fire and Ice'' were better received). 2017 saw two major releases of differing reception: ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' was met with high acclaim and considered on par with ''Colors'' and ''Generations'', while ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' was met with mixed reception.

* By 2015, the mobile gaming boom began to decline, with no newer "killer apps" matching the popularity ''Angry Birds'' or ''Candy Crush'' got upon their releases. In response, developers began pushing "[[AllegedlyFreeGame freemium]]" schemes, introducing {{microtransactions}} on games of all stripes. Many of these games have begun to sell "LootBoxes" that provide RandomlyGeneratedLoot. While generally tolerated in free games as a sort-of NecessaryEvil, especially if the game provides ways to buy them without real money and/or the items were cosmetic in nature , when done improperly they enable a particularly nasty form of BribingYourWayToVictory where ''one'' bribe [[CrackIsCheaper is probably not going to be enough for you]]. While Lootboxes as we know them had begun with VideoGame/TeamFortress2, many other games started to slowly hop on the bandwagon not long after, VideoGame/PAYDAY2 in particular got mocked for it's Crimefest 2015 event, essentially being based about the safe/ drill system implemented into the game, despite the developers claiming that the game would never feature such mechanics, which then caused the developers to make changes to the system not even six months later to make all safes free to open. ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' launched in 2016 with Lootboxes in tow, much to the chagrin of a fair amount of players, with defenders coining the phrase ''"It's Just Cosmetic!"'' as justifications for purchasing them, which meant, for the longest time, ''Overwatch'' escaped criticism of its Lootboxes on a larger scale. At least, until the issue came to a head in 2017, when game-changing loot boxes were included in ''{{VideoGame/Star Wars Battlefront II|2017}}'' despite it, like previous examples listed here, already being a full-price AAA title. The backlash against this was so severe that even the mainstream news media outlets had picked up on it, which had the knock-on effect of '''''various World Governments''''' to begin investigating whether loot boxes violated gambling laws. In April 2018, The Belgium Gaming Commission made a ruling that loot boxes are considered gambling and thus effectively banned in Belgium under their gambling laws. As a result many of major video games modified their games that barred microtransactions in Belgium to comply with their gambling laws. Similarly, the Dutch Gaming Authority made a similar ruling effectively banning loot boxes in video games. The United Kingdom also started to query the matter, and after questioning [=EA=] about the systems in Parliament, which led to [=EA=] claiming [[BlatantLies that they call them "surprise mechanics"]] (which went down as well as one might expect), and after opening the query up to the public for feedback, the ''sheer number'' of responses condemning [=EA's=] words and attempted stonewalling got politicians agreeing that, on September 2019, Lootboxes should be regulated like gambling, justifying the decision in this [[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/1846/184606.htm House of Commons Report]] by pointing out that while the actual mental effects of Lootboxes haven't been fully conclusive, the amount of horror stories of kids draining their parents' bank accounts by accident making the news on such a regular basis led them to act on that alone. The report ends with Parliament strongly suggesting in-game measures being put in place in games in the near future.

** If you're wondering their key to success amongst the crowd, part of it can be pointed to the fact that they drew really attractive playable female characters (most often by outsourcing various artists, so everyone gets a different artistic feel) as their super rare gacha prize, with some referring them as 'waifu' (as many of the higher rarity characters are often 5* rarity, or the rarest character, happen to be females). And with enough popularity on a character, the game will then release an alternate version of the character, or basically the same character with a {{Fanservice}} outfit depending on the season of the time (Summer is the most common for BeachEpisode and swimsuits) and different gameplay than the vanilla version, in the end, the amount of fortune by the waifu popularity will greatly increase with that. For those who didn't much care about waifu-ness, there is also the fact that if a gacha game is made out of a long-running franchise running through TheVerse, then that means [[{{Fanservice}} the gacha game became one intercontinuity crossover of one's favorite franchise and a chance to see their favorite characters within the same franchise under one roof, instead of being separated through continuities and new verses.]]
** On the other hand, the gacha system in mobile games has also drawn controversy in Japan to a similar degree as in the West, as the biggest concerns about gacha games is that many of them encourage gambling among children [[BribingYourWayToVictory in order to obtain the strongest and rarest characters to beat hard content]] despite the fact that [[PeripheryDemographic many of the gacha games are designed for an adult audience]], although technically, these games tend to avoid 'Pay to Win' scenarios, most units are actually eligible enough to carry the game and the games had to be more generous in giving free resources occasionally... [[EvilIsEasy but paying money is an easier, quicker way.]] The Belgium Gaming Commission ruling of loot boxes have also technically banned gacha games in Belgium, forcing Creator/SquareEnix to pull three of their mobile games from app stores in Belgium.

* 2012 saw the release of ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}: Spyro's Adventure'', a new type of game that involved physical toys that could be "brought to life" within the game itself. Some other developers played FollowTheLeader and released their own "toys-to-life" games, and eventually major retailers would have entire aisles devoted to these toys. Unfortunately, this proved to be a passing fad; as the three major series (''Skylanders'', ''VideoGame/DisneyInfinity'', and ''VideoGame/LEGODimensions'') all ended by 2017. Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s Toys/{{amiibo}} line continued on for a few years after that but noticably slowed down, while the next big push for a toys-to-life series, ''VideoGame/StarlinkBattleForAtlas'', flopped at retail.

* The Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon had its biggest hits since TheNineties with ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'', ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'', ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'', while ''[[WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet Ralph]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/FrozenII Frozen]]'' would each get sequels six years later. The first and ''especially'' the third one and its sequel became extremely popular and revived the Disney Princess franchise after a decade.

** Anime's offerings include the revival of the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' franchise in the ReCut series ''Anime/DragonBallKai'' along with the renaissance of the ''Franchise/SailorMoon'' franchise, with the reprinting of the manga along with a new series released in Summer 2014 and the reboot of the ''Franchise/GhostInTheShell'' franchise with the announced ''[[Anime/GhostInTheShellArise Arise]]'' series. And speaking of anime from this decade, the genre has regained popularity overseas (see below).

* Thanks of the popularity of ''Manga/DeathNote'' and ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' from the previous decade, DarkerAndEdgier shonen works that incorporate themes seen from seinen works have become increasingly more popular. Titles such as ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', ''Manga/SeraphOfTheEnd'', ''Manga/DeadmanWonderland,'' and ''Manga/AkameGaKill'' are shonen works that fall into the more cynical side of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism and have more complex CharacterDevelopment that is often seen in many seinen works [[note]]By technicality, these works are considered seinen since they are geared towards a more older audience, but they are run in many shonen magazines because many devoted readers still continue to read the shonen magazines even into adulthood[[/note]]. Even ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', a manga series that uses a lot of traditional action shonen tropes, happens to deconstruct many of the common shonen tropes, with the storyline shifting from an idealistic end until the Chimera Arc where it shifted towards a more cynical mood. That being said, traditional idealistic shonen action works still remain popular such as ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'', and ''Manga/BlackClover'' that bring in a new generation of shonen fans both in Japan and abroad. In addition, the revival of the ''Franchise/DragonBall'' series on cable television with ''Anime/DragonBallKai'' and ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'' have brought a new generation of ''Dragonball'' fans.

* Manga, following its Western counterparts, is undergoing a transition of sorts into digital, online and ''doujinshi''-style self-publishing to cope with the changes in technology. [[http://io9.com/5874951/why-manga-publishing-is-dying-and-how-it-could-get-better This continues a trend from the]] TurnOfTheMillennium with works like ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'', though more traditional and established manga giants like ''Shonen Jump'' continue earning profits despite print media publishing in general being on the decline. Then again, ''Shonen Jump'' ''did'' go digital in 2012. Also, Kodansha ''did'' lose several high-profile properties due to high-handedness of its editors — like the decades-long cult classic ''Manga/BattleAngelAlita'' and ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', which was plainly ''refused'' by the editor because "[[ItWillNeverCatchOn it wasn't JUMP!]]"

* Crossovers and GuestFighter concept within video games has became MUCH more common in the latter years of this era. The first phenomenon of this is most probably ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl'', which included not just Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog, but also [[Franchise/MetalGear Solid Snake]] into the roster. The next Smash Bros game went above that, bringing back Sonic and also adding Franchise/MegaMan, VideoGame/PacMan, [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]] and VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}. Afterwards, adding GuestFighter from another company in one game became a lot more common and outlandish choices started popping up more. For instance, ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}} 7'' features [[Franchise/StreetFighter Akuma]], [[VideoGame/FatalFury Geese Howard]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Noctis Lucis Caelum]] and [[VideoGame/TheWalkingDead Negan]]; ''VideoGame/Injustice2'' features the Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles, ''VideoGame/FightingEXLayer'' featured ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry]] [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Bogard]]'', ''[[VideoGame/DeadOrAlive Dead or Alive 5]]'' bringing in four ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' characters, two more ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' characters to join ''NG'' protagonist and ''[=DoA=]'' mainstay Ryu Hayabusa, plus [[VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors Naotora]] and [[VideoGame/FatalFury Mai]] [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Shiranui]] as DLC, ''DoA 6'' bringing back the ''Ninja Gaiden'' characters and Mai while introducing the latter's fellow ''KoF'' fighter Kula Diamond, and several collaboration projects by gacha games (example: [[Anime/KaraNoKyoukai Ryougi Shiki]] appearing in ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' [[note]]The character is written by the same author responsible for the Fate series[[/note]], ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' and ''Series/SpaceSheriffGavan'' appearing in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsXOmega'', [[VideoGame/NierAutomata 2B and 9S]] appearing in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyBraveExvius'', and later joined with A2 in ''VideoGame/StarOceanAnamnesis'', while 2B herself would appear alongside [[VideoGame/TheWitcher Geralt of Rivia]] and [[VideoGame/SamuraiShodown Haohmaru]] in ''VideoGame/SoulCaliburVI'' (after [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Ezio Auditore]] appeared in [[VideoGame/SoulCaliburV its predecessor]]), [[Characters/GranblueFantasyEventCharacters a lot of event characters from many other series within Granblue Fantasy, a game that started out as an original setting...]] This is topped with ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' bringing all of the guest fighters from ''Brawl'' and ''4'' as part of its "[[TheBusCameBack Everyone is Here]]" theme, while also adding Simon and Richter Belmont from ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' and [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu's longtime]] MovesetClone [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ken Masters]], and even more so with the DLC roster bringing in the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'', several from ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'', the return of [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo and Kazooie]] to Nintendo consoles, and another guest appearance for Terry Bogard). And beyond the base roster, franchises like ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'', ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', and ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' have all been given recognition through [[AssistCharacter Assist Trophies]], and indie icons like [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} Sans]] and VideoGame/{{Cuphead}} have appeared as Mii Costumes through DLC.

* Creator/{{Pixar}}, which dominated the previous decade, has continued to churn out box-office hits but has found its prestige slipping since the ToughActToFollow of ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', with ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'' getting a poor critical reception, and ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'' got mixed notices and underperformed worldwide in spite of winning an Oscar. ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'' did do well with critics, though audiences were divided on it as well. After not releasing films in 2014, ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'', the studio's first 2015 release received a standing ovation at ''Cannes'' and became a surprise hit, competing with ''Film/JurassicWorld'' on even terms. The same year though, they released ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur'' which became their first BoxOfficeBomb. Their fortunes though seem to have begun rebounding. ''WesternAnimation/FindingDory'' became a big critical and financial hit while ''WesternAnimation/Cars3'' was considered to be an improvement on the previous one. ''WesternAnimation/{{Coco}}'' was met with critical acclaim and was a commercial success, and also scored 2 more Oscars for Pixar (Best Animated Feature and Best Song). ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' has also been meant with acclaim and its huge 182 million opening weekend has giving it the record for best animated feature debut. It has since grossed over 1.2 billion dollars worldwide, making it Pixar's highest grossing film to date. They went out with a bang with ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'', which was just as well-received as any other entry in the series.

* Beginning in 2010, the MPAA (Motion Pictures Association of America) enacted stricter guidelines for its ratings in response to criticism about content seen on films rated "PG" or "PG-13". This move led to a situation where, 8 of every 10 films released in a given year carried either rating (with about half of all films being rated PG-13), while it became nearly impossible to get a film rated "G" (which had [[AvoidTheDreadedGRating already become associated]] with [[AnimationAgeGhetto films aimed at very young children]]) except for documentaries and [[GrandfatherClause some Pixar films]] -- 2016 was the first year in which not a single non-documentary film (theatrical or DTV) released that year was rated "G". In 2018, two films did fit the description (''The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales'' and ''Zoo Wars'') but both had very limited theatrical releases and were among the lowest-grossing films of the year. The fact the 2019 version of ''The Lion King'' got a "PG" rating in spite of being basically a shot-for-shot remake of a G-rated 1994 film became a sign the "G" rating was all but done in the mainstream.

* Sports anime and manga, [[AmericansHateTingle while traditionally not big sellers in America]], has seen a slowly growing resurgence in popularity in America thanks to the popularity of ''Anime/{{Free}}'', ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'', and ''[[Manga/KurokoNoBasuke Kuroko Basketball]]'' to the point that many licensors such as Creator/{{Funimation}} and Creator/SentaiFilmworks started picking up sports titles in their catalogs and even dubbing them. It also doesn't help to note that many of these titles have a CastFullOfPrettyBoys (which is also relatively popular in America thanks to the popularity of many romantic {{shoujo}} titles) which leads to PeripheryDemographic (as many sports anime and manga usually geared towards [[ShonenDemographic younger boys and teenagers]]). Not to mention, American audiences are growing tired of many SchoolgirlSeries SliceOfLife works as many of them use the same cliches over and over again.

* By the end of the decade a debate between movie buffs and creatives over whether the American film industry has become "infantilized" with its emphasis on animation, musicals, and particularly fantasy-based blockbuster films and franchises, '''especially''' comic book-based ones, took root. Where non-fantastical films (dramas, romances, comedies), often modestly-budgeted, thrived up through the previous decade, the American film industry now builds release schedules almost entirely around "tentpole" movies that easily lose tens, if not ''hundreds'', of millions of dollars if they aren't blockbuster hits, and demand the bulk of screen space in theaters (especially [[FlyoverCountry outside coastal metropolises]]), thus limiting the reach of non-SummerBlockbuster fare.

*** However the rise of political correctness has also spawned a massive backlash. Terms like "[[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad Social Justice Warrior]]" ("SJW" for short) have risen to mock people who take political correctness too far, with a StrawFeminist stereotype being associated with the VocalMinority on social media websites such as Tumblr and Twitter. Opposition to multiculturalism amid increased immigration and terrorism have spawned far-right populist parties which many feel are harboring sentiments reminiscent of the [[PuttingOnTheReich Third Reich]]. In addition, neo right-wing groups have emerged, with varying stances towards social issues. These groups are dubbed as the "alt-right", and may be the counterclaim to more liberal millennials.

* This move towards more correctness and rectitude is the result of [[CallingTheOldManOut backlash against the "Baby Boomer" generation]][[note]]Those born between 1946 and 1964[[/note]], now portrayed by later generations as [[ItsAllAboutMe selfish]], immature freeloaders with an unrealistically simplistic (and overtly utopic) vision of the world. It hasn't helped that the reputations of many of the boomers' most important symbols and idols have been shattered overnight. A glaring example of this generational divide is the rejection of 20-something feminists of the bikini and the "sex positive" philosophy championed by 1960s/70s-era feminists. On the other hand, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers also accuse Millennials of being [[NotSoDifferent selfish, immature freeloaders with an unrealistically simplistic (and overtly utopic) vision of the world]].

*** However the rise of political correctness has also spawned a massive backlash. Terms like "[[PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad Social Justice Warrior]]" ("SJW" for short) have risen to mock people who take political correctness too far, with a StrawFeminist stereotype being associated with the VocalMinority on social media websites such as Tumblr and Twitter. Opposition to multiculturalism amid increased immigration and terrorism have spawned far-right populist parties which many feel are harboring sentiments reminiscent of the [[PuttingOnTheReich Third Reich]]. In addition, neo right-wing groups have emerged, with varying stances towards social issues. These groups are dubbed as the "alt-right", and may be the counterclaim to more liberal millennials. Due to conflicting views on both sides as well as moderates on both ends, Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment should be applied when discussing said issues.

* The spring-summer of 2015 saw a minor resurgence of hippie-inspired clothing, with flowery prints, platform shoes, and flares becoming a limited trend. [[LennonSpecs Rounded sunglasses]] have become popular in their own right.

** This is also the decade that mainstream rock music vanished from the airwaves of mainstream pop and adult contemporary stations. This largely had to do with demographics: Pop radio always targeted very young audiences and tended to skew towards women, whose taste in music was seen as more universal compared to fringe genres that boys and men liked. In this decade the format’s listener base became increasingly nonwhite and dependent on female and younger audiences, thus quickly diverging from the base of conservative white males who typically listened to mainstream rock. No song has successfully crossed over from that format since Shinedown’s Top 10 hit “Second Chance” in June 2009, and even the alternative radio format had a near-complete blackout of crossover hits in 2010 and 2011 as the format struggled to find songs with mass appeal. The fact that alternative radio increasingly diverged from mainstream rock may have also had something to do with it; as the former had much more overlap with pop radio demographics than the latter, it was Bette positioned to cross over.

* After two decades' worth of AlternativeRock, HipHop and Adult-contemporary {{Idol Singer}}s heavily inspired by jazz and soul, ElectronicMusic became a hot spot in the American public eye, after years of mild-to-moderate popularity in the club scene (already being popular around the rest of the world, especially in continental Europe). Music/{{deadmau5}}, Music/DavidGuetta, and Music/{{Skrillex}}, among others, have become global celebrities. The latter has become particularly notorious for [[GenrePopularizer popularizing]] Main/{{Dubstep}}, a [[MoodWhiplash part-aggressive/part-melodic]] genre [[FollowTheLeader copied]] by other producers, spreading many subgenres like "deep house" and "electroswing" (which became popular a little earlier than its parent genre with 2010's "We No Speak Americano"). Although deadmau5 doesn't consider himself to be and dislikes being called a DJ, he is an {{electro house}} producer known best for wearing his iconic mouse-head mask. Guetta is a French {{house music}} artist who released his obscure debut album in 2002 and hit worldwide fame with 2009's "When Love Takes Over". The ponderous success of Music/LadyGaga ended up becoming the crucial piece in the puzzle[[note]][[CreatorBacklash But don't remind her about that]]; [[GenreShift she has herself shifted to soul music]][[/note]].\\